Machine for corking and wiring corks to bottles



(No Model.) 16 Sheets-Sheet 1.` H. LA CASSE. MACHINE IOR GORKING AND WIRING GORKS T0 BOTTLES.

INVE T R MINIMUM iii.

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ATTORNE N. Pneus Phmomhogmp (No Model.) 16 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I-I. LA GASSE.- y AMACHINE FOR GORKING AND WIRING GORKS To BOTTLES.I No. 400,776. Patented Apr. 2, 1889..

@Lw/Emmi o v 314 anto@ 51mg w... @moz (No Model.) l v 16l Sheets-Sheet 3.

H. LA GASSE. MACHINE PORVGORKING AND WIRING GORKS IO BOTTLES.

Patented Apr. 2, 1889.

Qmifwwom (No Model.) 16 Sheets-Sheet 4.

H. LA GASSE. MACHINE FOR GORKING AND WIRING GORKS T0 BOTTLES.l No. 400,776. Patented Apr. 2,w1889.

(No Model.) I 16 sheets-sheet 5.

H. LA CASSE. MACHINE FOR GORKING AND WIRING CORKS T0 BOTTLES.

No. 400,776. Patented Apr. 2, 1889.'

rum I Il Il Il n (No Model.) 1.6 Sheets-Sheet 6.

H. LA CASSE.

MAGHINE POR GORKING AND WIRING GORKS T0 BQTTLBS. No. 400,776. l Patented'Apr. Z, 1889.

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(No Model.) v IGVSheets-Sheet 7. H. LA CASSE.

v MAGHINE FOR GORKING AND WIRING GORKS To BOTTLES. No. 400,776. Patented Apr. 2, 1889.

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(No Model.)

HLA' GASSE. MAGHINE POR GORKING AND WIRING UORKS TO'BOTTLES.

Patented Apr. 2, 1889.k

,MN Av u Nw. m u 7. .L o s 0 ,|l, N W/T wmwLanugmpher. washington u, c.

(No Model.) 1.6 Sheets-Sheet 9.

H. LA GASSE.

MAGIIINNIQN GONKING AND WIRING GOIIIIS To BOTTLES.

No. 400,776. N Patented Apr. 2, 1889..

M ATTOR N EY N. PETERS. PhnmLillwgraphnr. Waxhngian. D. C.

16 Sheets-Sheet 10.

(N0 Model.)

H. LA CASSE. MACHINE POR GORKING AND WIRINGv GoRKs To BOTTLES.

Patented'AprZ, 1889.

WITNESSESY BY l ATTURNEY.

NA PETERS. Fhokuzllhognphcr. Wnshingkm. D. C.

(No Model.) 16 sheetssheet 11.

H. LA CASSE. MACHINE IOR GORKING AND WIRING GORKS 'I0 BOTTLES. No. 400,776.

Patented Apr. 2, I889.

BY M

ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. mwmmmpner, wnhingnm o, c.

16 Sheets-Sheet 12..

(No Model.)

H. LA GASSE. MACHINE FOR GORKING AND WIRING- GORKS To BOTTLES. No. 400,776.

Patented Apr. 2, 1889.

ATTORNEYS. y

N. PETERS. Phomumngmphur. wnsmngmn. n. c.

(No Model.) 16 Sheets-Sheet 13..- r

` H. LA GASSE. MACHINE FOR RKING AND WIRING UORKS T0 BOTTLES. N0. 400,776.

N. ruins mmumogmpw, wahmgmn, D c.

(No Model.) 16 sheets-sheet v14.

AII. LA GASSE. MACHINE -FOR GORKING AND WIRING GORKS T0 BOTTLES. No. 400,776. Patented Apr. 2, 1889.

A L@IHMImi f immuillllllll l I \V///////////////////////// l, u Humm Q Immun" im (No Mom.) 16 sheets-sheet'15- l H. LA GASSE. MACHINE POR GORKING AND WIRING GORKS T0 BOTTLES.

Patented Apr. 2, 1889.v

(No Model.)

16 Sheets-Sheet 16. H. LA CASSE. MGHINE POR GORKING AND WIRING GORKSl TOBOTTLES.

Y No. 400,776.

- Patented Apr. 2, 1889.

mv NT n' ATTUHNEY6 s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY LA CASSE, OF SYRAOUSE, ASSIGNOR TO SOL VVILE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR CORKING AND WIRING CORKS TO BOTTLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent No. 400,776, dated April 2, 1889.

Application filed .Tuly 3.0, 1888. Serial No. 281,381. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY LA CASSE, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Corking and Wiring Corks to Bottles, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for bottling liquids, and has for its object the production of a machine containing novel mechanism for corking the bottles and wiring the corks securely thereto, the 'wire being first secured to the cork and then passed around the neck of the bottle and over the top of the cork, in such manner that when it is desired to open thebottle the wire may be untwisted from the neck of the bottle and utilized as a means for drawing the cork from the bottle.f

In all wiring and corking machines heretofore used no means were provided for drawing the cork aside from the use of a corkscrew; hence the difficulty in withdrawing the cork has led to the introduction of numerous patented bottle-Stoppers made of rubber and other materials which were detrimental for use in bottling fine beverages, and these patented Stoppers, while much easier to-manipulate in drawing them, have failed to meet the popular favor for use on tine bottled beverages, for the reason that the rubber used to make the stopper tight was apt to taste or deteriorate the quality of the beverage. My invention is designed to obviate these objections by utilizing the ordinary cork stopper provided with a wire pull, which is formed of the wire used to wire the cork to the bottle when the bottles are corked; and to this end my invention consists, essentially, in a machine wherein the wire is automatically applied to the cork by suitable mechanism and the cork with the wire secured thereto forced into the bottle, of mechanism for securing the wire to the neck of the bottle and over the top of the cork, and mechanism for cutting off the wire from the wire-reel, all of the said operations being performed automatically after the bottle is placed into the machine and motion communicated to the mechanism from the prime motor, all as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In specifying my invention reference is had 5 5 to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specificatiomin which like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a top plan of a machine containing my invention, illustrating the mech- 6o anism in position to operate when a bottle is placed in the machine, the wire-carrying device and its actuating mechanism being shown ready to start forward and carry the wire around the cork of the bottle, also illustrating the mechanism and timing de- .vices which automatically bring into operation the different parts of the machine essential to carry out the various steps in the operation of corking and wiring the bottle. 7o

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a machine containing my invention, illustrating the bottle in position to be operated on by the wiring and corkin g mechanism, the wire-carryin g device being' shown as advancing forward, 75

bringing the wire in position to encircle the cork when the cork is placed in the compressor-tube. This view also illustrates the construction and arrangement of the mechanism for allowing the wire-carrier to oscil- 8o late, so that the same may raise or lower automatically in applying the wire to the neck of the bottle after the cork is forced home. It also illustrates the mechanism for rotating the bottle, thereby twisting the wire over the top of the cork. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the opposite or rear side of amachine containing my invention, illustrating the main shaft and its connecting mechanism for transmitting motion to the wire-carrying mechanism, and 9o also to the compressor and plunger for forcing the cork home into the bottle. It also illustrates the pedal for throwing the machine into action through the medium of a clutch engaging with the pulley of the prime motor. 9 5

illustrating more particularly the cork-comroo pressor and its actuatingmeans, the bottle to be operated on being shown embraced by arms which serve at the proper time to lift the wire' up over the top of the cork when the cork is forced home into the bottle. Fig. 5 is a like view enlarged and showing the compressorpartly in section, illustrating more particularly the detail construction and operation of the compressor upon the cork, which is shown inclosed therein, also illustrating tlie contour and ari'angement of the cams which actuate the cork-compressor and the plunger for forcing the cork home into the bottle, the mechanism for operating the compressor being illustrated as at the commence-l ment of its movement in. the operation of compressing the cork. Fig; G is a like en-` larged view illustrating the same parts, but showing the compressor forced home on the cork and the plunger for forcing the cork into the bottle starting its movement for that purpose. Fig. 7 is a like enlarged view illustrating the compressor mechanism locked out of the path of its actuating-cam and the plunger forcing the cork into the bottle, the cork momentarily stopped in its downward passage at the point, as shown in the illustration, to allow the wire-carrier and shuttle to cause the wire to encircle it and to secure the wire thereto in order to utilize the wire as a pull to remove the cork. Fig. S is an enlarged front side elevation, partly in section, illustrating the wire-carrying devices and shuttle at the moment of the commencement of the rearward movement of the wire-carrier, leaving the wire secured to the cork, while the cork is Just started into the neck of the bottle, as shown in Fig. 7, the neck of the bottle btiiig broken away for the purpose of illustration. Fig. 0 is an enlarged front side elevation similar to Fig. 8, showing the wire-carrier and shuttle as having twisted the wire the proper length to permit the wire to extend over the top of the cork and encircle the neck of the bottle. Fig. 10 is a like view illustrating the wire-carrier and shuttle again starting forward, so as to carry the wire to the other side of the neck of the bottle, and illustrating the cork forced home by the plunger. Fig. 11 shows an enlarged end elevation of the machine, taken from the same end as shown in Figs. 4f, 5, and 6, illustrating the means secured to the plunger-shaft for releasing the compressor whenthe cork is forced home into the bottle and the position of the cam which actuates the walking-beam for forcing' down the plunger. Fig. 12 is an enlarged side view of the mechanism for laying the projecting end of the twisted wire over the top of the cork after the same is forced home into the bottle, illustrating also the detail construction and arrangement of the cam and its timing devices for regulating the movement of the actua-ting mechanism. Fig. 13 is a top plan view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 12. Fig. 11.1I is an enlarged detached side elevation of the wire-carrier, shuttle, and its actuating mechanism, showing' the shuttle dropped down to carry the wire over the trip of the cork and neck of the bottle preparatory to encircling the neck therewith. Fig. 15 illustrates a like view showing the wire-carrier and shuttle elevated to its normal position and retracted to carry the wire around the neck of the bottle and to the other side thereof preparatory to the finishing operation. Fig. 1G is a like view illustrating the operation of the swiveled jaws which carry the proj ecting end of the wire shown in Fig. 15 upward and above the top of the cork in the finishing step of the operation, also illustrating the mechanism for turning the bottle, which twists the ends of the wire onto the top of the cork, thereby securing it ready for the stroke of the cut-off mechanism which severs the wire from the shuttle. Fig. 17 is an enlarged side view of the mechanism for cutting oif the wire after the operation of twisting the same on the cork has been completed. Fig. 18 is an enlarged longitudinal.

vertical section taken on line fr of Fig. 1,`

showing the drivin g-pulley, its clutch, the cams for operating the plunger and compressor, and the clutch for bringing the cams into action, and illustrating the detail construction and arrangement of the various parts mentioned. Fig. 15) is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section taken on line 1j y of Fig. l, illustrating the cams for operating the clutch on the main shaft which rotates the wire-carrier and shuttle, and also the cam `which actuates the clutch mechanism illustrated in Fig. 18 for throwing the compressor and plunger cams into action; and Fig. 20 is a transverse vertical section taken on line e' of Fig. l, illustrating the detail construction and arrangement of the pivoted shafts which transmit motion to the ire-carrier and its shuttle and the gears for rotating the wire-carrier in order to twist the wire after the wire has encircled the cork and the neck of the bottle, and it also illustrates the cord and weight for compelling the wire-carrier and shuttle to follow the travel of its actuating-cam, thereby retracting the wire-carrier at the proper time.

In describing this the preferred example of my invention, I have divided the mechanism into various steps in order to facilitate the description thereof, and have designated the parts relating to each step as follows, viz: first, the feeding devices for feeding forward the wire over the bottle; second, the compressermechanism which compresses the cork and prepares the same for the mechanism which forces the cork home; third, the plunger and its operating mechanism which serves to force the cork into the bottle; fourth, the mechanism for carrying the wire over the top of the bottle and the cork, and, fifth, the cutoff mechanism for cutting off the wire and finishing the operation of corking and wiring the bottle.

A represents the main frame of the machine, mounted on suitable supports or legs,

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i, said frame being of any desirable form and dimensions and made of any suitable material. I

B B are uprights rising from the top of the frame, supporting the main shaft and the plunger and compressor mechanism. y

C is the main shaft, journaled in bearings secured in the upright B at one end and the upright B2 at its opposite end.

D is the belt-pulley which transmits motion from the prime motor to the main shaft.

E is a worm on the niain shaft C, which meshes with a worm-gear, E, on the shaft F and serves to transmit motion to the crossshaft F, which in turn` transmits motion to the wire carrier and shuttle.

G is a gear on the main shaft, which meshes with a gear, G', on the cross-shaft H and serves to transmit motion to the shaft H and rotates the wire-carrier and shuttle, the said rotation serving to twist the wire, as will be explained farther on.

I is the wire-carrier, which consists of the wire-reels and shuttles, serving to supply necessary wire in the operation of wiring the corks to the bottles.

J is the bottle-support, secured to the frame A underneath and in line with the plunger P, as best shown in Fig. 2.

K is a rack engaging a pinion on the spindie of the bottle-support J, and serves to revolve'the bottle at the proper time to secure the wire to the top of the cork.

L, Fig. 2, is` the lever which operates the rack K to revolve the bottle.

M M are jaws which embrace the neck of the bottle, holding it firmly, and serving at the proper time to force the wire upward over the top of the cork.

N is a hammer which serves to cut off the wire from the shuttle in the finishing step of the operation.

O is a clutch on the main shaft C, which is actuated to engage the pulley D, and thereby start the machine, it being understood that Jrhe pulley D, connected to the prime motor, is constantly in motion, turning vloosely on the shaft C until the 'clutch O is thrown into engagement with the hub of the pulley by pressing down on the pedal Q, which movement is transmitted to the clutch O through the medium of the pivoted lever R.

P is the plunger, which forces the cork home through the compressor-support S.

S is the compressor, in which the corks are inserted and compressed by the compressor mechanism.

T is a table or stand connected to the machine, and serves as a convenient support for bottles which are to be corked and wired in the machine. v

j U is the hanger which supports the shaft for operating the wire-carrier.

V is the lever for oscillating the hanger which carries the journal of the wire-carrier, thereby lowering and raising the wire-carrier in its different operating positions.

A of the machine.

Wis the walking-beam, carrying the plunger P,which forces the cork home into the bottle.

The wire carrying and feeding devices consist, essentially, of the carrier I, which consists of a frame supporting two reels, r r, or spools of wire and two spring-tensioned shuttle-jaws, a a, Fig. l, pivoted to lugs projecting outwardly from the frames of the reels fr r. The shuttle-jaws a a are tensioned or forced toward each other by means of the spirals a', Fig. 1. The wire-carrier I is secured to the shaft b by means of the set-screw b', which passes through the hub I of the carrier-frame. .l

The shuttlejaws a terminate in rounded .knobs @tand oscillate or swing outwardly away from each other on their pivots, for a purpose presently explained. The carrier I has a rectilineal movement toward and from the bottle-support J, and it also oscillates on the shaft F as a' pivot, for the purpose of permittin g the carrier to lower or raise when the wire is placed around thekneck of the bottle and drawn up over the top of the cork. The forward and rearward movement of the carrier is secured by mounting the shaft b in the hanger U, so as to allow1 it to move endwise therein.

The shaft h of the carrier is supported near its forward end in the free extremity of the hanger U, which is provided with the sliding bearing c, mounted in the slot c in the post X, Figs. l andi), which rises from the frame The opposite or rear end of the shaft b -is supported in the bearing d of the hanger U and the independent bearing d, 'adapted to slide rectilineally in the hanger U, and provided with the frictional roller e, which, as shown in Figs. 1 and S, is held constantly in contact with the cam t', mounted on the shaft F, by means of the weight Y, secured to the cord 3, passing over the grooved pulley 2, and fastened to the bearing d by a screw-4:. The bearing d of the shaft h is guided in its rectilineal movement on rods f f', which pass through the hub U and the projecting bearing d of the hanger U.

It will be observed that the hanger U is made integral with the hub U. and the bearing d', and the forward ends of the rods ff are secured to the bearing d by set-screws f2 f3, while the rear ends of the rods ff are secured to the hub U by set-screws 5 6.

The end ofthe shaft b is turned down .or reduced in diameter at b2, so as to provide a shoulderwhich bears against the forward end of the sliding bearing d, while a collar, e', secured to the end of the shaft, securely connects the shaft b to the sliding bearing d. The hanger U, with its projecting hub U', journaled on the shaft F, serves to allow the oscillating movement of the wire-carrier I, as previously described, and the oscillation of the wire-carrier is secured by means of the rocking lever V, Figs. 1 and 2, which isfactuated by the cam h on the shaft F, as best shown in Fig. 2.

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The rocking lever V is provided on the end which contacts with the cam h with the friction-roller V', while its opposite end, V2, is coneaved and supports the elbow-bearing Z' from underneath, as best shown in Figs. 2 and I5.

It will be observed that as the shaft F rotates the cam 7L, riding against the frictionroller in the end V' of the rocking lever V carries the end V' of the lever down, and thereby raises the wire-carrier as the large part of the cam passes over the friction-roller, while the wire-carrier is lowered when the small portion of the cam is in contact with the frictionroller in the end V'. The bearing c, which rests in the slot c' of the upright X, is formed integral with the hanger U and is allowed a vertical movement in the said upright X in its slot c', while the gear g' has a rectilineal movement on the shaft b on the spline g2, the spline g2 being secured to the gear and sliding in a longitudinal groove in the shaft b. The shaft Il, upon which the gear g, which meshes with the gear g', is journaled, is journaled in the elbowbearing Z', as shown in the top plan view, Fig. I, and necessarily follows the oscillating movement of the shaft b, and to allow this movement the shaft H. is provided back of the gear g wit-h a bearing or sleeve, o, which has a vertical movement in the slot 'n of the post X', Fig. 20, and is provided with a tapering shoulder, I7, which bears against the two-part face a' of the post X', and serves to keep the gears g y' in mesh during the osi cillation of the shafts b and II. The position of the wireecarrierI in iis first movenent forward is shown in Fig. 2.

It will be observed upon reference to Figs. S, 9, and IO that the cam i, which impels the wire-carrier forward, is two-win ged, the wings being so timed that as the cam rotates the carrier is impelled forward from the point of the wing, and the first forward movement of the carrier is so timed in relation to the movement of the plunger, which forces the cork down, that the shuttle-jaws are carried over the neck of the bottle, so that the cork may be forced down between the two shuttle-jaws of the carrier. The cork at this point entering the neck of the bottle about a quarter of an inch, the carrier and jaws are immediately retracted by the travel of the cam and the force of the weight Y on the bearing d, and as soon as the rearward movement of the carrier commences the shaft H commences to rotate by mechanism which throws it into gear, which will be presently explained, and secures the twisting motion of the carrier, which serves to twist the wire on the cork, therebyT securing the wire to the cork. The rearward movement of the carrier is so timed that a suffi cient length of wire is twisted that when the cork is driven home into the bottle, carrying the wire with it, the remaining wire is sufficient to extend over the top of the cork and around the neck of the bottle. As soon as the cork is forced home into the bottle, the wirecarrier again moves forward, and this time the cam 71` is rotated, so as to bring the smaller portion thereof in contact with the end V' of the rocking lever V, which allows the shuttlejaws to drop with the oscillation of the shaft b, so that the shuttle-jaws a encircle the neck, as shown in Fig. 14s. This movement of the shuttle-jaws brings the wire fw over the top of the cork and down around the neck of the bottle. carrier pulls the wire taut, and the wire-carrier again resumesits normal position in a horizontal plane by the further travel of the cam 7:. against the friction-roller in the end V' of the lever V. As the carrier moves rearward, the twisting motion is again resumed and the wire twisted, as shown in Fig. 15. At the next advance of the wire-carrier the final step in the operation takes place,whieh secures the wire zu to the top of the cork, and the wire is cut off by mechanism which will be presently described.

The rotation of the wire-carrier I is accomplished by the shaft II and its gears g g', the said shaft li being rotated by the gear G on the main shaft C, which meshes with the gear G" of the shaft II. 'lhe end of the shaft I-I bearing the gear Gr' is journaled in the T- box Z, Fig. l, and is driven by the gear G, which is loosely mounted on the shaft C and actuated at the proper time by means of a clutch, y', Figs. 3 and 19. The clutch consists of a loose sect-ion carried by the hub of the gear G and a sliding section provided with a spline which moves in a longitudinal groove in the shaft C. The sliding section of the clutch is operated by the clutch-dog Il, secured to the shaft m, which is mounted in the U-bearing C, Figs. and lil, and is actuated by the engagement of the cam fr/,2 with the end m' of the shaft m. A spiral, l2, serves to retract the sliding section of the clutch after the cam m2 has passed the end m' of the shaft.

It will be observed that the wire-carrier I is rotated as it moves backward, and that it moves rearward twice in performing its oftice. Consequently I construct the cam m2 in two parts, as best shown in Fig. if), the said cam being shown as formed on a three armed wheel, and having the cams substantially opposite to each other and of suitable length to allow the necessary length of wire to be twisted for the steps of the operation, the arms a8, if), and 50 being connected to the rim of the cam adjustably by means of setscrews Z, passing through the slots Z in the rim, which permits sufficient adjustment to time the travel of the cams to secure the desired result. Motion is communicated to the shaft F, upon which the cam m2 is mounted, by means of the worm E, which meshes with the worin-gear E'.

The rounded ends of the shuttle a are provided for the purpose of obviatin g friction as the shuttle-jaws are forced apart when the wire-carrier moves rearward in the operation of placing the wire around the neck of the The rearward movement of the wire- IOO IIO 

